Wanted: Holiday Spirit

I can't find mine - it's missing.

We hosted our annual holiday party for about 65 of our peeps on December 10th so I was crazy busy getting ready for that, and then, once it was over, I completely 
lost my holiday spirit.

It's gone and I need to find it.

Suggestions?

I'm about to write my Christmas cards though, so maybe that will help.

I ditched the idea of a staged holiday 

photo of my kids and 

decided to go with one of them from earlier 

in the year, more in their natural element - hiking in the woods. 

It's the winner:

(That said, I do think my oldest 

needs to expand his wardrobe a bit!)

Round Two

My boys and I went into

D.C. yesterday to pick

up a piece from

Miss Pixie's

(another story)

and stopped by to take a look

at the national tree and snap a few

pics for the holiday card

I'm still working

on.

Let's just say my boys

weren't that enthusiastic,

and this is the only one that

turned out half way decent.

A winner? 

Boys!

My boys definitely didn't get
my "ham" gene - they absolutely hate
to have their picture taken, while
I've never shied away from a camera yet!

So every year it's a challenge to try
to come up with a decent photo of the two of them together
for the requisite holiday card.
(You know, the kind grandparents like to get!)

Part of the fun this year is that we just got
a fancy schamncy "real" camera and I'm
slowly learning how to use it, so naturally
I want to take a million shots,
inside, outside, change outfits,
lighting, etc.

The boys?

Not so much!

I bribed them with dinner at Chipotle to get this shot this afternoon. 

I like it, but I'm not sure
it's the winner.

Looks like I may need to offer
milkshakes for round two...

Two Shows, One Weekend!

Honestly, I don't know

how I managed to pull it off,

but I'm happy to report

both of my barn shows

are set for this weekend's

shows!

The Kramer Angle

at Chartreuse and Co.

is loaded with a mix of

cool industrial pieces

I picked up in Ohio

over Thanksgiving,

and great gift 

items for everyone

on your shopping list,

including candles, table runners,

and great smelling soaps!

 

 

And in Gambrills, Maryland

at The Barn Show

we're all set to 

present our holiday

collection, bright and 

early Friday morning!

I just loaded all the photos

from The Barn on our website,

so click over there 

to check out some of 

what you'll see if you 

stop by the show.

Truth be told, I'm getting

"barned out" and I'm ready

for a little break,

so the holidays are coming

at just the right time!

I hope to see you at one

of the shows!   I'll be in

Gambrills Friday and Saturday

and at Chartreuse on Sunday!

The Big Picture

Sometimes life has a way of

reminding you of what's

really important,

and it's typically not

what you think it is.

I know for certain this week

that it's not the stress I'm

feeling as I prepare for 

both of my barn shows this 

weekend, or the 

inconvenience of losing

my pickup truck to an

unfortunate accident.

They're minor issues

when I look at the big

picture.

My friend's husband passed 

away last week, and so I'm reminded

that life is short, and that 

instead of sweating the small stuff, 

I should be happy for it,

because it means my 

life is moving along as I 

want it; happy, healthy 

and blessed.  

Steve was someone I saw

infrequently, around town, 

at an occasional

happy hour, and at 

my Christmas party every year. 

But he was also a big fan

of my barn shows and it was

not uncommon for me to turn around

at some point and see him

standing there, taking it all in,

and then quietly ask questions as to

where I found things, why I buy

what I do, how impressed he was,

etc., etc.

He was also a reader of 

this blog, and would always

comment on a post or two I had

written, and mention

how much he enjoyed

my musical play list. 

It saddens me to no end,thinking 

about my friend, Lori, now a young

widow left to finish raising 

their beautiful daughters 

without him,

and also, selfishly, knowing

there is one less person out there

reading my words and quietly

cheering me on in my 

pursuit of happiness.

Rest in peace, Steve.

Love Lost

Well, it's a done deal,

my insurance company,

has decided the 

damage my truck 

incurred when an 8 point

buck ran into it last week

while my husband and son

were driving home

from deer hunting

(the irony!)

was too extensive,

and has totaled it.

The news was tough to take,

because I loved that truck,

and now I'm left to search

for a new love.

Sigh...

 

Crazy Girl

(Image courtesy of Madison & Mabel)

I've been crazy busy

(again)

getting ready for two barn

shows, 

but first show's first,

so check out what we've put

together for this weekend's

show at Chartreuse and Co.

(Click here for photos!)

And then be sure to stop back

on Monday for some sneak peeks

of what's at The Barn 

for our holiday show,

December 2nd & 3rd!

The Irony of It All!

My husband and youngest son

spent almost 12 hours 

in a tree stand Saturday

hunting for deer

to no avail.

On the way home

an eight-point buck

leapt into the path 

of the vehicle my husband

was driving.   

How ironic that they 

didn't shoot a deer

but they did kill one!

The good news is 

they weren't hurt.

The bad news is

my beloved truck 

suffered significant damage.

We find out Wednesday

if it's repairable or 

totaled.  

In the meantime,

I'm wondering how this

truck-loving girl is going

to make do without it this week,

and perusing 

the truck "for-sale" ads 
- just in case! 

Wishful Thinking

Sometimes I wonder who I am

anymore because I find

myself doing things

or thinking about things

I never thought I would. 

Like driving a truck.

It's supposed to be my

business vehicle but

it's become my ride of choice. 

I'll often leave my

minivan parked in the 

driveway even for jaunts

around town, just because

I like the feel of my big old
truck so much.

I think it's cool.

I'm sure it's not, but then again

I've never been on the cutting

edge of cool, so I don't care.

Another thing that's

surprising me these days

is the amount of time

I dream about moving

to a farm. 

First off, rest assured

I have absolutely no desire

to actually work a farm,

or even own animals 

or crops - I haven't 
strayed that far
from who I am!
 

Maybe it's the

bucolic setting I imagine

that's calling my name.

A place where
girls like me are supposed
to drive trucks around
town - where it's the norm,
not the exception.

So, I spend lots of time

perusing farm listings,

looking for just the right

combination of a charming

farm house and an equally

adorable barn

in which to house my

growing business offering

my style of home decor.

Keep in mind, this is all 

a daydream because no one

in my family is even 

remotely interested in 

moving.

In fact, when I suggested it to

my family one evening, my youngest,

13, thought he'd summed up the 

problem when he suggested

I "paint, design new window treatments,

order a new couch, and call it a day".

So, instead,

I dream.

this one's only about 45 minutes from

where we live!

look at that porch!

the driveway!

the pasture!

sigh...

Wonderful Wednesday

If you're my friend or have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that Wednesday is my favorite day of the week, right?

In fact, you're probably 
tired of reading about it 
and already know I love
Wednesdays because it's my
auction day,
blah, blah, blah,
and wish I'd tell you 
something you don't
already know!

Like what the hell's happened to my hair!  

Someone asked me that this week.  

Seriously.

So, for the record, listen up people, 

I just don't have the time

or the inclination to straighten 
my hair anymore - it is what it is, crazy!
Get over it.

But, I digress, let's get 
back to the auction talk!
I know, I know, 
but I just can't 
help myself!

I love everything about this day -

the drive over the

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

(it was beautiful this morning!),
the hour long drive there,
and back because it's my
time alone,

the regulars,

(heck, I even had a dream about one last night!)

and the

 built-in dinner plan

(The Amish sell rotisserie chicken that my family eats every Wednesday night!,
and the thrill of the hunt!

Some weeks it's awesome,
some weeks it's horrible
and some weeks it's so-so,
like today, but every Wednesday,
no matter what, beats any other
day of the week, hands-down!  

This is what caught my eye today:

I liked the scale on this medical cabinet, 

because it was on the small side

and I thought it would make a great bar or

would be perfect for toiletries in a bathroom. 

The yellow base and enamel top

was a cheerful combination, but

I saw this early in the day and didn't

end up bidding on it because I didn't

know what was waiting for me in the fields.

(As it turned out, I should have bid on it!)

I passed on the full size 

styofoam Liberty Bell replica.

(I know, what was I thinking, right?)

 

I loved the base on this factory cart

and would have had a new zinc or 

salvaged wood top made for it because

it would make an awesome coffee table.

But, I forgot about it until it was too

late and they had already auctioned it off.

Dang it.

Double dang.

 

Okay, if you know me, you already

know why I loved this piece, but

for those of you not familiar with me

and aware of the fact I should be on a 

12-step program to shake my addiction, let

me just sum it up in two words:  

metal 

drawers

Enough said.

(Oh, and yes, I got it!)

 

Some of these metal chairs

were fabulous, but most of them

were just "off"; wrong scale,

wrong idea, too big, etc., but I

have to admit, I liked the big seats.

(and I can not lie!)

The headless men?

Uh, I'm not sure what to say except

I think they'll make great

Christmas presents for my girlfriends.

 

Another workbench I thought

would make a great bar.

(Noticing a bar theme with me?)

Hmm.

 

Now you totally get the gift idea,

don't you?   It's the gift that keeps

on giving coming and going.

 

 

 - TOY STORY 4 -

Woody and his friends are

mistakenly sold at auction and bought 

by a crazy-haired

auction obsessed junk chic.

Good stuff, right?

Holiday Kick-Off

If you've been to 

Chartreuse and Co.,

in Buckeystown, Maryland

you know all about 

our monthly tag sales and are

probably planning to shop

the barn this weekend for 

our holiday kick-off event!

If you've never been

to one our shows,

then this is the weekend

you want to make that happen,

because the barn is absolutely

packed with our most incredible

collection of antiques, vintage decor

and seasonal accessories we've

ever had!

Check out our Facebook page

for sneak peeks of what's 

available in this show.

Here's a sampling of 

what you'll find in my shop,

The Kramer Angle,

at Chartreuse.

I hope to see you 

this weekend!